FARWELL WWTP - Surrey Township, Michigan Wastewater Treatment Plant

FARWELL WWTP is a municipal wastewater treatment facility located in Surrey Township, Clare County, Michigan, United States. The plant serves a small community of approximately 800 residents, reflecting its role in a rural or suburban setting within the state. The facility provides secondary treatment, which is the standard level required under the U.S. Clean Water Act for most municipal plants. With a designed capacity of 529.96 units and a current discharge volume of 340.69 units, the plant operates below its capacity, indicating room for future growth or seasonal variations. As a U.S. facility, it operates under a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit issued by the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE), which sets effluent limits to protect water quality. The treated effluent from FARWELL WWTP is discharged into a local water body, likely a stream or river within the Lake Michigan or Lake Huron watershed. The plant's location inland, more than 50 km from the Great Lakes coast, means its discharge contributes to the regional surface water system, supporting aquatic habitats and downstream ecosystems.

The plant's discharge enters a local watercourse that ultimately drains into one of the Great Lakes, likely Lake Michigan or Lake Huron via the Muskegon River or Saginaw River systems. This watershed supports diverse aquatic life, including fish species such as trout and salmon, and provides habitat for migratory birds. The secondary treatment process reduces organic pollutants and suspended solids, helping to maintain water quality in the receiving stream and downstream environments.